New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-04
DIR. HAMMOND ON COCAINE,
HIS REPLY TO BROOKLYN DOCToRs.

HIS REPLY TO BROOKLYN DOCTORS.
ALL
DR. William A. Hammond remains complacent in his
views on cocaine announced before the New-York
Neurological Society time He Is not disturbed
by the action Of the Medical Society Of Kings County
after the reading of Dr. ]. b. Mattson's paper on
Cocaine Dosage and Cocaine Addiction" in appointing
committee to draft resolution presented to the
Legislature, placing cocaine the list Of poisonous
drugs. TO be sold only physcian's prescription Dr.
Madison said that he had found fifty Of cocaine
poisoning. four OF which fatal and characterized
Dr. Hammond's statements cocaine as " mistaken"
and his conclusions crash aud dangerous"
Dr. Hammond expressed his views in frank emphatic
manner "Now for the first thing" said he, taking up
THE TRIBUNE article action OF the Kings County
Medical Society. "Dr. Mattson wants law passed pac
ing cocaine the list OF poisonous drugs be sold only
PHYSICIANS prescription He and his associates evil
IDENTIFY don't know what they about, and you may
make that statement blunt please There s no
such thing In existence list Of poisonous drugs to be
sold only on physcian's prescription Now. see here,
and DIR. Hammond took mp small book containing the
statutes OF this State the subject according to the
law It Is simply unlawful to sell the poisonous drugs
mentioned In the two schedules and B, without label
ling the bottle Poison md marking the and place
Of business Of the seller on IL. Anybody can go 10
drug store and purchase all the acone he wants on rcp
resenting that It is for legitimate purpose and giving
his name and residence. The statute on that point
reads:
Nor shall T. be for registered TO sell
the same 9 the purchaser causing entry T. be made In
aud address Of the purchaser the name quality the
sold the for Which NH II oy the
Now" continued tho physician, taking up Record
of the Sale of Polsons used by weknown druggist OF
this city. and adding with twinkle OF his eye let me
read of some of tho entries here giving the essential
points: Two OF Paris green. for reaches; o.
laudanum, for horse; phosphorus forexperimcnt
Why. might have got that to experiment on his
wife for all anybody knows Here IL OF. cyanide OF
potassium, for cleaning A single grain will kill man
in single minute II Is perfectly evident these gentle
Of Brooklyn don't know the law and what they arc
talking about when anybody get OF these poisons
his representation Another purchaser here IRE
ferrng again to the record gets arsenic for rats
another 10 corrosive sublimate for water bugs
Here eleven sales OF Paris green for Croton bugs rats
and roaches and We all know how frequently 1t has
been purchased and used In attempted suicide. One
man. you remember purchased the article pretending IL
was for dog; he used 1t for suicide
there Is no law preventing man calling himself dog
Here Ia srychnne for killing cat one-haf ounce eac
OF tncture aconite vomca and cantharides, eacn
sufficient to kill strong healthy man. for medical pnr
polsons for the following purposes For SICK woman,
for external application for inc stomacnas9e anu
/ pnrposcB 'Habitual USE Here other entries OF
! laudanum and also or inorpha Tor haDltuh
glad found these entries for these particularly show
how easy for Any one to purchase poison in having
cocaine placed on the list poisonous vegetable akaoids
cocaine ia vegetable alkalod. and such aka1ids
person would have do would he to to drug store
and he wanted 80 much cocaine lor aog r,
| trouble 49,, ,..
poisonous vegetable akaoids he must show that IL IA
apoIson That Is hard thing 10 do II Il difficult even
define poison and the subject of cocaine
| L.. .yilo hA
Mattisons position All that Ia necessary for the Legis
atnrc do at the rthest 70 declare cocaine p9son
physican knows that cocaine Ia not substance to DO
used Unfortunately in all doses and no ply stefan pre-
The experiments of people show that cocaine
no, pson Here is little book, the last work on coca
| and cocaine Ivy DIR. william Martndae. demonstrator OF
| maieria mcdica in University College, London lie
! says:
mid and not cumulative cessation OF respiration
esnrTes In the case attempt at suicide by an apoac
twenty H bl Ss 30 he
grain. IL three hour. without, his snD.eauSnt writing
body Gs sa:e4 H%oas II.
respiration Twenty grains have oeoH taken without s
or drinking .ea.cknc.s amt yo%,ns II .vrSy' IS, Tine
and e!'s sn s0 DR. Hammond further the
Russian surgeon did xiii himself under the idea that he
hal destroyed patient with cocaino-bnt " was a,tef
tson has brought forward four In which he asserts
tint death was due to cocaine There Ia no proof
whateyer that death resulted from this substance !
know OF four OF death from the uso OF bromide OF
potassium yet who would think OF putting that among
| poisonous drugsf ,.. =, a.,
10 the cocaine habit there IL not nm instance OF II
on record except those ~ former opineaIefs IN soe
form or other They undertook TO cure themselves OF the
habit with cocaine under idea that IL would DC an
antiiote their will power was already DESTROYED
| nv opium they went taking cocaine. when, win
| opiufn made a bad combination Dr. Mattison when
speakng before the Neurological Society my remarks
| on Cocaine and the Cocaine Habit was unable 10
adduce a single instance OF tho cocaine hab,t except IN
the drug great many cases ana IN large doses ana
have seen Ill effects and not the slightest disposition
| 10 acquire the habit"